Multiple GOP sources revealed to Hearst Newspapers that McMahon’s campaign, in an Election Day hail Mary attempt, printed up fliers insinuating that Murphy was to blame for extended power outages post-Hurricane Sandy because he received campaign contributions from the utility industry.

The hope was that party rank-and-filers would hand out the leaflets at polling places along Connecticut’s hard-hit Gold Coast, Hearst has learned.

Republicans we spoke to repudiated the strategy and refused to hand out the fliers, however.